Hinge counterbalance and hold-open



Aug. 29, 1961 LA VERNE B. RAGSDALE 2,997,733

HINGE COUNTERBALANCE AND HOLD-OPEN Original Filed Nov. 25.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 29, 1961 LA VERNE B. RAGSDALE 2,997,733

HINGE COUNTERBALANCE AND HOLD-OPEN Original Filed Nov. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gym? United States Patent 2,997,733 HINGE COUNTERBALANOE AND HOLD-OPEN La Verne B. Ragsdale, Dearborn, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporatron of Delaware Original application Nov. 23, 1954, Ser. No. 470,560, now Patent No. 2,908,934, dated Oct. 20, '1959. Divided and thrs application Mar.. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 796,491

1 Claim. (Cl. 16-146) This invention relates to a hinge counterbalance and hold-open, and more particularly to an improved counterbalance and hold-open device for automobile door hinges. This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 470,560, now Patent No. 2,908,934 granted October 20, 1959.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved hinge counterbalance and hold-open; another feature of the invention is that it provides a hinge counterbalance and hold-open device including a cam lever pivotally mounted on one hinge member and a follower projecting from the other hinge member into engagement with the cam surface of the lever, with spring means biasing the lever into constant engagement with the follower to provide a counterbalance force; a further feature of the invention is that the cam surface has a detent portion over which the follower rides when the hinge parts approach open position to provide a yieldable hold-open for the hinge straps; and still another feature of the invention is that the spring means comprises a flat coil spring mounted concentric with the pivotal axis of the cam lever and on the opposite side of the hinge box wall from the cam lever.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal section through a body pillar and a portion of a door of an automobile, the door being shown in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a section similar to FIG. 1 but with the door shown in open position;

FIG. 3 is a section through a portion of the hinge box taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a section through a portion of the hinge box taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, is an automobile body hinge pillar having an opening 12 in its jamb face, and 14 is an automobile door having a hinge face 15 facing the opening 12 when the door is closed. The door preferably is secured to the body by two vertically spaced hinges, only the upper hinge being illustrated in the drawings.

A hinge box 16 is mounted on the automobile body within the pillar 10 by means of screws 17. The hinge box is generally U-shaped, having a base 18 through which the screws 17 extend and having opposite side walls 19 projecting outwardly from the base and terminating adjacent the opening 12.

A hinge pin 22 is journaled between the opposite walls 19 and forms a pivotal support for a gooseneck hinge strap 24 which is mounted for swinging movement between the walls 19 and which has a free end portion 25 extending through opening 12. The end 25 is secured to the door 14 by means of screws 27 threaded into a reinforcing plate 28 on the inner surface of the door wall. The door may be swung between open and closed positions as shown in the drawings.

In order to provide a hold-open device for yieldably holding the hinge in open position and for providing a counterbalance force as the door is moved between open and closed positions, at least one cam lever is pivotally mounted on one of the box and strap members, the lever having a cam surface with a detent portion. A follower projects from the other of said box and strap members into engagement with the cam surface of the lever. Spring means are provided to bias the lever into constant engagement with the follower, the follower riding along the cam surface of the lever during opening movement of the strap to provide a counterbalance and riding over the detent portion of the lever when the strap approaches gpen position to provide a yieldable hold-open for the oor.

Referring to the drawings, a lever 60 is pivotally mounted on a pin 62 carried on one of the hinge box walls. The lever has a sloping cam surface 64 and a detent portion 66 which is located closer to the pivoted end of the lever than to the free end thereof. The cam surface 64 extends from the detent to the free end of the lever and the cam surface extends at an angle to and lies on only one side of a line drawn from the pivotal axis of the lever to the apex of the free end thereof. The lever 60 is mounted on the pin adjacent the inner surface of the hinge box wall and the pin 62 projects outside the hinge box wall and mounts a flat coil spring 68 adjacent the outer surface of the hinge box wall, one end 70 of the spring being hooked into a slot 72 in the end of the pin 62. The other end 74 of the spring is anchored on a lug 76 projecting outwardly from the hinge box wall. The lever 60 is rigid with the pin 62 so that the lever is constantly biased in a counterclockwise direction (as the parts appear in FIGS. 1 and 2) into constant engagement with follower means comprising a roller 44 which is mounted on a pin 40 projecting out from the edge of the hinge strap 24 into the path of swinging movement of the lever 60.

A stop to limit swinging movement of the hinge strap 24 in the open position is provided by means of a cap 50 which mounts a rubber bumper 51. When the hinge strap is at its fully open position (FIG. 2), it abuts the rubber bumper and the bumper provides a limit stop.

In the operation of the device, as the door is swung from closed to open position, the roller 44 rides along the sloping cam surface 64 of the lever 60, the spring 68 holding the lever in constant engagement with the roller and providing a counterbalance force during open movement of the door. As the door approaches open position, the follower roller 44- rides over the detent portion 66 of the lever and the spring 68 provides a yieldable hold-open for the door.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination with a door hinge including a hinge box having opposite parallel side walls and a hinge arm pivotally mounted between said Walls and spaced therefrom for movement between door open and door closed positions, a hinge hold-open, comprising a pin pivotally mounted in one of said side walls and projecting on opposite sides thereof, a lever rigidly mounted on said pin adjacent the inner surface of said side wall for swinging movement in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement of the hinge arm in the space between said hinge arm and said wall, said lever having a free end and a straight edge portion located adjacent said pin, a cam follower projecting from said hinge arm into the space between said hinge arm and said one wall for movement with the hinge arm between door open and door closed positions in the plane of swinging movement of said lever, a torsion spring on said pin, said spring having one end anchored on the hinge box and the other end connected to said pin for biasing the free end of said References Cited in the file of this patent lever adwaty frog? tle pivogal axis tof saii li'ililnge aim vfvhiere- UNITED STATES PATENTS y sai s ra1g e ge 1s iase owar e pa 0 oor opening movement of said follower, said free end of said 2702401 vlgmostad a lever located between the pivot of said hinge arm and 5 2,707,302 Jo 1955 said follower, and said follower upon full opening of 2,722,035 101195011 I 1 56 said door is disposed on said hinge arm in a position with 2,731,011 Maler 9 the center point thereof crossing a center line passing through the hinge pivot and said pin whereby said straight edge provides a yieldable hold-open for the hinge strap. 10 

